Motor-car.



P. H. ADAMS.

MOTOR GAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1913.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Kaine/l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHINEAS H. ADAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOTOR-CAR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHINEAS H. AnAMs, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Motor- Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in motor cars of the type used upon railways and has for its object the production of a motor car which will be so constructed as to permit of ready disconnection or disassembling of the parts for storage or shipment.

A further object is the production of a motor car which will be of simple and economical construction, one which will possess durability and strength, as well as lightness, so as to permit of ready handling, as is required in case of emergency, and which will be generally of high efliciency in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view, my invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a motor car embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on substantially line 'w w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section taken on substantially line a'm of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail section taken on line y-g of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on line ez of Fig. 3.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a car body consisting of a framework which is composed of longitudinal rails 1, 2, 3 and 4:, the rails 1 and 3 and 2 and 4: being arranged directly over each other in spaced relation and connected by struts 5, the rails 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 being arranged in the same horizontal plane and spaced apart and connected by cross pieces 6. Mounted in the framework thus formed are the forward and rearward wheels 7 and 8 of the car, which are mounted in suitable bearings, as will be readily understood. A motor 9, of any approved type is mounted upon the frame- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 11, 1913.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Serial No. 789,373.

work at the inner side thereof and is suitably connected with the rearward wheel 8 for driving of the same.

Mounted at the upper side of the body framework is a platform 10 formed of a plurality of longitudinally extending sections which are mounted upon cleats 11, the rearward end portion of said platform being slightly elevated, posts 12 being inserted under the cleats 11 of said rearward portion of the platform to support the same in elevated position. A rail 13 is provided at the rearward end of platform 10, which is adapted to serve in the usual capacity.

Arranged at the under sides of the rails 1 and 2 are channel-irons 141-, corresponding ends of which are secured rigidly to said rails by means of bolts and nuts 15, as

clearly shown in Fig. 3. Fillers 1 1 of wood are preferably arranged in the channels at said attached ends of said members 14, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The channel-irons 14 project inwardly or laterally from the inner side of the body framework and are provided at the under sides with channeliron cleats 17, corresponding ends of which are rigidly secured to members 14 by means of rivets 16. The free ends of the cleats 17 are spaced slightly from the corresponding ends of channel-irons 14 in order to accommodate the sections 18 of a platform, which is constituted thereby, extending along the inner side of the framework. The platform sections 18 are secured to the members 14 and 17 by means of bolts and nuts 19 which pass through said parts, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. With this arrangement disclosed it will be seen that the channel-irons 1 1 constitute platform supports, being adapted to rigidly support the sections 18 of the platform which are secured in position at the under sides thereof. The members 14 and 17 are so arranged that the bottoms of the channels thereof will contact with the opposite sides of the platform sections 18, resulting in a construction which is durable and eflicient. Also with this construction the nuts at the lower ends of bolts 19 are protected by the sides of the channels of cleats 17. The platform section 18 adjacent the body framework is cut away, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, in order to accommodate the engine 9, the inner end of the rearward end portion of said platform section being supported by a supplemental cleat 17 Which projects from the bottom of the adjacent platform section 18.

Cross rails 20, 21 and 22 project laterally from the body of the car for the support of third and fourth wheels 23 and 24, respectively, which are arranged at the outer ends of said rails. The inner ends of said rails are fitted in and overlapped with the outer ends of platform supports 14, said ends of said cross rails being securely fastened to said platform supports by means of manually operable clamps 25.

Two clamps 25 cooperate with each of said rails, one being arranged at the outer end of each of the supports 14 and one atthe inner end of the corresponding cross rail or adjacent the body of the car. Each of said clamps is of substantially inverted U-shape, the lower inwardly turned ends of the sides thereof being adapted to engage under the corresponding support 14:, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. A thumb-screw 26 provided at the upper, or bight, end of the clamp engages at its inner end against a plate 26,

secured for cooperation therewith to the upper side of the cross rail. The under sides of the cross rails are longitudinally grooved, as at 19, in order to accommodate the head of bolts 19.

Vith the construction set forth, it will be seen that the cross rails will be detachably connected with the platform supports or with the body of the car so that in shipping or storing, said rails, together with the third and fourth wheels connected therewith, may be readily and easily detached by simply loosening the clamps 25. And, by so arranging said clamps that the thumb-screws 26 thereof extend upwardly, the heads of said screws are readily accessible, thereby facilitating the connecting or disconnecting operation, as the case may be.

The cross rails 20 and 21 serve, as seen, to support the third wheel 23, the outer end of cross rail 22 cooperating with the fourth wheel 24;, the outer ends of rails 20' and 21 being connected with the corresponding end of rail 22 by means of the connecting rail 27. The adjoining ends of rails 20, 21 and 27 are connected together and clamped between plates 28 and 29, bolts and nuts 30 connecting said plates and passing through the ends of said rails, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The plates 28 and 29 are provided with elongated arcuate slots engaged by the bolts 30, which permit of slight swinging adjustment of the rails cooperating therewith in assembling and adjusting the car. The rail 20 is also engaged by a bolt and nut 31 which serves primarily to secure the stud shaft 32 of the wheel 23 in the bearing which is provided therefor at the under side of the plate 29, said bolt engaging a slot 32 which is cut in one side of the shaft 32, as will be readily understood. The adjoining ends of rails 22 and 27 are correspondingly connected, being clamped between plates 28 and 29 by bolts and nuts 30, a bolt and nut 31 cooperating with the stud shaft 33 of wheel 24 to secure the same in position in the hearing which is provided therefor at the under side of plate 29'.

Mounted upon the cross rails 20, 21 and 22, adjacent the platform 18, is a tool tray 34, secured in position by means of bolts and nuts 35, said bolts passing upwardly through said cross rails and through the longitudinal flanges of said tray, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The said bolts, as well as the other bolts employed in the framework of the car, are so arranged that the nuts thereof will be uppermost where the same will be in constant view and thereby reduce the liability of loss through loosening. At the rearward end of said tray, as well as at the rearward ends of frame members 3 and 4e, are provided handles 36, through the medium of which the car may be readily handled to remove the same quickly from the track rails in case of emergency. The handles are provided only at the rearward end of the car since the greatest weight will be found at this point, owing to the location of the engine, and also because the operator, when operating the machine, is stationed at the rearward end thereof, and so that in alighting from the car the handles will be located where they may be readily engaged by him.

A motor car of the construction set forth will be found light and durable in construction, and adapted to efiectively serve the purpose for which the same is designed. By reason of the detachable connection of the cross rails of the third, and fourth wheels with the platform supports, collapse or disassembling of the car into a small compass for storage or shipment is rendered possible, the construction employed permitting of connection or disconnection of said cross rails with ease and expedition. Also, by means of the additional function performed by the platform supports, namely, that of serving as a medium through which the cross rails of the third and fourth wheels are connected with the car body, a simplified and, hence,

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a motor car, a body and third and fourth wheels, said body comprising a framework; a platform arranged along one side of said framework; channel-irons connected with and projecting from said framework for supporting said platform; and cross rails for the third and fourth wheels having their inner ends fitted in and detachably connected with said channel-irons.

2. In a motor car, a body and third and fourth wheels, said body comprising a framework; a platform arranged along one side of said framework; supports for said platform connected with and projecting from said framework; cross rails for the third and fourth wheels having their inner ends overlapped with said platform supports; and clamps detachably connecting said rails and supports.

3. In a motor car, a body and third and fourth wheels, said body comprising a framework; a platform arranged along one side of said framework; supports for said platform connected with and projecting from said framework; cross rails for the third and fourth wheels having their inner ends overlapped with said platform supports; and manually adjustable clamps detachably connecting the overlapping ends of said rails and supports.

4. In a motor car, a body and third and fourth wheels, said body comprising a framework; a platform arranged along one side of said framework; supports for said platform connected with and projecting from said framework; cross rails for the third and fourth wheels having their inner ends overlapped with said platform supports; and inverted substantially U-shaped clamps detachably connecting the overlapping ends of said rails and supports.

5. In a motor car, a body and third and fourth wheels, said body comprising a framework; a platform arranged along one side of said framework; supports for said platform connected with and projecting from said framework; cleats arranged at the un der sides of said supports, said platform be ing positioned between said supports and said cleats; and cross rails for the third and fourth wheels detachably connected with said platform supports.

6. In a motor car, a body and third and fourth wheels, said body comprising a framework; a platform arranged along one side of said framework; channel-iron supports for said platform connected with and projecting from said framework, the channels of said supports opening upwardly; channel-iron cleats arranged at the under sides of said supports, said platform being positioned between said supports and said cleats, the channels of said cleats opening downwardly; and cross rails for the third and fourth wheel's having their inner ends fitted in and detachably clamped to said platform supports.

7. In a motor car, a body and third and fourth wheels, said body comprising a framework; a platform arranged along one side of said framework; channel-iron supports for said platform connected with and projecting from said framework, the channels of said supports opening downwardly; chair nel-iron cleats arranged at the under sides of said supports, said platform being positioned between said supports and said cleats, the channels of said cleats opening clownwardly; bolts passing through said supports, cleats and platform securing the same together; and cross rails for the third and fourth wheels having their inner ends fitted in and detachably clamped to said platform supports.

8. In a motor car, a body and third and fourth wheels, said body comprising a framework; a platform arranged along one side of said framework; supports for said platform connected with and projecting from said framework; cross rails for the third and fourth wheels having their inner ends overlapped with said platform supports; and clamps detachably connecting said rails and supports, there being two clamps cooperating with each rail and adjacent support.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PHINEAS I-I. ADAMS. lVitnesses 'I. J. IVIULLEN, PAUL G. LAMoREAUX,

(topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. 0. 

